| REVIEW ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2011 | Volume
: 4
| Issue : 1 | Page : 25-39 |
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Gastroesophageal reflux disease (gerd) in children: from infancy to adolescence
Sulaiman Bharwani
Department of Pediatrics, University, Al Ain, UAE
Correspondence Address:
Sulaiman Bharwani
Department of Pediatrics Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, P.O. Box 17666 Al Ain
UAE
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
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The increased recognition of the difference between the adult and the pediatric populations in terms of the manifestation and the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), owes much to the number and nature of high quality clinical research and drug trials conducted in the past decade. The plethora of choices available to treat GERD is unprecedented. A primary care physician clearly understands the investigative and therapeutic options available, and some of the risks associated with them. What makes the physician wary is the absence of a) a clear objective definition of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a pediatric population and b) sufficient data to support the use of the armamentarium available. The variety of definitions and terms used in the literature to define GERD adds to the confusion and results in a variety of approaches to manage it.
In light of the new developments, the objective of the review is threefold, 1) to simplify as much as possible the current evidence based pediatric literature in defining GERD and its common presentations in the three distinct sub-populations of children as newborns and infants (0-12 months), toddlers and children (1-10 years), and adolescents (11-18 years). These cut-off periods are arbitrary and some overlap is inevitable, 2) to review the diagnostic and therapeutic tools available today, and 3) to effectively apply these tools and formulate pathways in some case scenarios, for the esophageal and extra esophageal GERD manifestation in the three distinct age groups specified above.
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